Cleaning Crew

[GregAW]

Ok, for a 90 gal tank would this be a good cleaning crew? I want to keep the algae down and the sand clean.

- 14 Scarlet Reef Hermits
- 24 Astrea Snails
- 2 Emerald Crabs
- 3 Sea Cucumbers
- 3 Horseshoe Crabs
- 3 Colored Serpant Stars
- 6 Nassarius Snails
- 1 Coral Banded Shrimp
- 2 Queen Conch
- 1 Arrow Crab
- 1 Tiger Sand Star

Also, how do you control the growth of Coralline?

 

[cjtabares]

That seems like alot. From what i have read a horseshoe crab should be in at lest a 100gal and u say u want 3. I also think the queen conch needs a 100gal tank. Cucumbers can be very toxic if they become stressed or die from what i read.

 

[Ace25]

I don't like sea cucumbers, but they do clean pretty good. Just have to keep an eye on them, if they start to die they puke their guts out and pollute the tank.

No on horseshoe crabs, they don't belong in an aquarium. Same thing for the tiger sand star. I would get more nassarius snails and a couple sand sifting gobies to keep the sand clean.

Coral banded shrimp get big and are questionable in a reef tank, same as the arrow crab.

Do not add all those at once.. those levels sound fine for an established tank, but add them slowly over a few months.

So my list would be:
- 20 Scarlet Reef Hermits
- 24 Astrea Snails
- 1 Emerald Crab
- 1 Sally Lightfood Crab
- 3 Colored Serpant Stars
- 12 Nassarius Snails
- 2 Queen Conch
- 1 Skunk Cleaner Shrimp

To control growth of coralline watch your alk/ca parameters. Coralline loves high alk and moderate calcium levels, ie. 11dkh Alk and 380+ Calcium. The lower the alk and calcium levels the slower it grows. It also consumes a lot of Alk so you have to replace it daily with any number of methods, easiest being 2 part B-Ionic.

 

[GregAW]

Thanks, so at the very start is anything needed or would help with the cycling of the water? What is a 2 part B-Ionic?

 

[Ace25]

B-Ionic is a 2 part liquid to replenish lost Alkalinity and Calcium in your tank, which is consumed by corals and coralline algae. Those 2 are lost at a much faster rate than anything else in the water and have to be replaced daily depending on your consumption levels. In the beginning, it isn't much at all and 2 32oz bottles will probably last you 6 months.. but if/when you fill your tank with corals you can be like me and go through 2 1Gallon bottles a month.

You need to have Alk/Ca test kits to determine your levels and how much is consumed to know how much to dose. I would guess in a new 90G it would be around 20ml a day of each.

For cycling the water, just live rock will do.. you can add a some SuperBac to help out, but it isn't needed, just speeds up the process by a few days.